Application is a formal request to a school to enrol your child. This usually involves completing a form with information about your child.

Assembly is where the whole school or a section of the school comes together to hear information and share learning experiences.

Some of the things that may happen are:

messages may be shared by the teachers,

awards may be handed out,

the national anthem may be sung, and

parents and family members may be invited to attend.

Collaborative practice is when a team of people work in partnership with one another towards shared goals. When a team collaborates, the strengths of all members of the team are respected and utilised.

In relation to some types of schooling, this term refers to a set of standard requirements which must exist and be shown in a report in order to be entitled to apply for a specific type of class or school. For example, only children with a diagnosis of a moderate level of intellectual disability would be eligible to apply to attend a "support class-moderate intellectual disability (IO)" in NSW.

Evaluation can involve looking back and thinking about how successful a certain course of action has been. In relation to transition to school, you and your team may evaluate your child's transition into school to determine whether anything might be done differently.

Hi ! I'm a tooltip!!!

Kindergarten refers to the first year of formal schooling in NSW. This is sometimes also known as "kindy".

The names for the first year of formal schooling differ across Australia. Please see the table below the names used in each state and territory.

State or Territory

Name of first year of formal schooling

ACT

Kindergarten

NSW

Kindergarten

NT

Transition

QLD

Prep

SA

Reception

TAS

Prep

VIC

Prep

WA

Pre-primary

Mainstream refers to a regular class within a conventional school setting where children of the same chronological age attend. In mainstream classes there is usually one teacher responsible for teaching 20-34 children. Mainstream schools may belong to the Public, Catholic or Independent school sectors.

Out of school hours (OOSH) care provides child care to children before school hours, after school hours and sometimes in school holiday periods (also known as vacation care).

OOSH services are usually operated independently of the school and a separate OOSH application usually needs to be completed in order to access the OOSH service. Each OOSH service is licensed for a maximum number of children. Not every school offers an OOSH service and some services may have a waiting list.

An orientation programme aims to help children become familiar with their new school by meeting the teachers and other children, as well as learning a little about the school.

Towards the end of each school year,schools usually offer orientation sessions to the children who will be starting Kindergarten the following year.

Perspective refers to understanding or being able to look at things from another person's point of view. Understanding the perspective of other team members is particularly important for working in partnership.

Rights refer to something which a person is morally and legally entitled to have.

Special schools provide a separate educational setting for children who have a diagnosis of a moderate or severe intellectual disability. In the Department of Education and Communities, special schools are also known as "schools for specific purposes" or "SSPs".

Strategies are practical tools, activities and supports to assist a child to develop and learn.

Support class is a special class located within the grounds of a mainstream school only for children with a diagnosed disability in NSW. There are a range of different types of support classes based on the type and level of disability.

Transition planning meetings are meetings held to plan for your child starting school. They are usually organised by the principal and are held once your child's enrolment has been confirmed at a specific school. See preparing for transition meetings for more information.

Your team is a group of people who work together collaboratively to support your child's development. Team members could include professionals from a range of agencies or private practice such as early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals (e.g. speech pathologist, physiotherapist, psychologist, occupational therapist or special education teacher, mainstream early childhood education and care (ECEC) professional e.g. preschool or child care centre teacher, the principal of the school, your child's classroom teacher, a trusted friend or support person.

Thinking about school options

“I wanted him to go to a regular school and his older siblings were already at this school. We were happy with this school already.”

Ying , mother of Alan

When you have considered your child’s personality, learning styles, learning needs and interests, think about your whole family’s needs:

Do you have other children? If you would like all your children to attend the same school, consider siblings and the suitability of the school for them

How closely is the school linked with your local community?

Are there opportunities for parent and family involvement with the school?

What is the availability of before, after school or vacation care if needed?

How easy is it to travel between home, school and your workplace (if appropriate)?

Do you have a preference for public or private education?

Do you need access to before and or after school care and/or vacation care? If so, click here to go to the Child Care Service Directory to find out where out of school hours (OOSH) care services are located in your area or call the Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305

What are the options?

There are three different education systems:

Public or government schools

Catholic schools

Independent or private schools

Each system differs in the way they provide support to students with developmental delay or disability.

In general, Catholic and independent schools support children with developmental delay or disability in regular mainstream classes. There are also Catholic special schools and support classes in some areas.

Public schools may offer a number of different options for supporting children with disabilities. For more information about mainstream public schools, support classes, and special schools, in NSW click here.

Start locally

The professionals who work with your child will know your child and family and may know of schools which you might like to consider within your local area. It may also be helpful to talk to friends and neighbours.

“Our Early Childhood Intervention Service were great on a personal level (when we were looking at school options) … I attended a seminar about school options with reps from each education sector and a parent representative. Hearing from a parent was the most valuable thing in terms of hearing that I needed to really look at my own child’s needs.”

There are many advantages to attending your local school. There will be children within your local community who attend the same school and if you have other children they can also attend that school. The first point of contact for all types of public school options is your local public school.

It may possible to apply for a school for which is not in your local area. This can be done after you have made contact with your local school. The principal of your local school can help you to do this.

Click here. for more information about enrolling your child in a NSW public school.

Catholic Schools
If you are interested in your child attending a Catholic School, your first point of contact should be the principal of your local Parish school. It is possible to apply for a Catholic School outside your local area, however, the first place to start is with your local Parish school.

There are also Catholic special schools and support classes in some areas.

Click here for a list of Catholic special schools in NSW.
Independent Schools
If you are interested in your child attending an independent school, you will need to contact the individual school directly. Ask for a prospectus to be sent to you with information about the school and if you are interested in applying for the school, make an appointment to meet with the principal.

There are also a number of independent special schools and support classes in NSW. Click here for more information.

Distance education
Distance education is for students who are geographically isolated or whose special circumstances prevent them from attending school on a regular basis.pro

Click here for more information on distance education in NSW.
Home schooling
Parents or guardians who choose home schooling for their child must be registered by their state or territory teaching and education authority e.g. Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) in NSW. Parents must accept responsibility for developing, implementing and evaluating their child's learning program.

Approaching a school for the first time

“We did a lot of research and went to workshops. We also had friends who had mainstreamed their child. We already had our older daughter in the school and they were very welcoming to us.”

Khalilah, mother of Ahmed

When making a decision about which school might best suit your child and family, visiting some schools is an important step in the process.

Allow plenty of time for making decisions, completing any applications and planning.

As a general rule: schools should be approached 2 years prior to when your child would start if the child has a physical disability and 12 months prior for children with developmental delay and all other disabilities.

How to approach a school

When you have decided on a school or schools you may like to send your child to:

Contact the schools you’re interested in and make an appointment with the school principal. Remember the first point of contact for public or Catholic schools is your local school. Read more...

Usually the principal will arrange a time to meet you and have an initial discussion about the school and your child and for you to have a tour of the school

consider taking along a friend or trusted professional to visit prospective schools as an extra pair of “ears and eyes”

Here are some things you may like to talk about on your first visit to a school:

what is most important for your child and family in terms of a school for your child e.g. open communication between the staff and you, being alongside typically developing children of the same age, being with siblings, or within your own community?

your child’s main strengths and needs. There will also be other opportunities to share this information in more detail at a transition planning meeting

any specific questions you might have about the school

The Raising Children Network website has some useful questions you could ask. Click here to read more.

Take along a note pad and pen to record any notes or things you may like to discuss with your team afterwards. The school may also ask for a copy of recent assessment reports

When you visit the school, consider the school’s readiness to work with you and your child:

how welcoming is the school principal and staff when you meet them?

how do key staff members at the school interact with your child?

can you see yourself working in partnership with the principal and key staff members you meet?

does the school seem open to learning from you about your child?

does the school seem open to working collaboratively with professionals who already work with your child and know him or her well?

Every child has the right to attend their local public school. Most children with additional needs attend mainstream schools.

There are specific eligibility criteria for support classes and special schools. Placement is based on an application process. It is important to note that there are a limited number of positions available in support classes.

Parents know their child best and are aware of their goals for their child.

Each family makes a choice that is right for their own child and family at that point in time. Any decision made about schooling options, can be reviewed with school staff and members of your team each year, to make sure that the school or type of class continues to be the most suitable one for your child.

After your first meeting at a school, what next?

You may then have some new questions to discuss with the principal at each school that you are considering.

How to discuss your questions with the principal

Prepare

You may have thought of some potential challenges. Before you make a time to discuss these issues, think about:

how you are going to raise your concerns

whether you have any ideas or solutions

whether the school might have some ideas or solutions

whether you want to talk through your thoughts with others who know your child

Some examples of conversation starters

“I think _______________ might be a potential challenge for Jamie. Is there any way we might be able to manage this?”

“I just wanted to come to you with an idea. I am wondering whether it could help with (describe the challenge)______________________. Do you think that could be possible? Do you have any other ideas on how we might be able to do this?”

“I am a bit concerned about how Samir will go in the playground interacting with other children. I am wondering whether it would be helpful for the new kindergarten teacher to have an opportunity to speak with her preschool teacher about things that have helped Samir socially?”

“As Jai doesn’t talk much, we appreciate hearing about what is happening during the day in other ways. I understand how busy teachers are, so I’m wondering what might work best for his new teacher in terms of regular communication with us?”

Remember it is important:

to build a good relationship with the school right from the beginning. This is so that everyone is able to talk about their concerns, challenges and ideas. Acknowledge the school’s perspective and be realistic about your expectations when raising questions or ideas

to listen to the school’s views, be flexible and willing to try new things

that the partnership works for both parties

Click here for more information about developing positive relationships with the school.

Conversations with the principal provide an opportunity to see how you and the school can work in partnership to find strategies and solutions.

This chart may help you think about how you can talk to the principal about your child’s needs.

Starting school is an important milestone in any child and family’s life. For families of children with developmental delay or disability, transition to school requires additional thought, time, planning and support to make the process as smooth and as positive as possible.

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Starting school is an important milestone in any child and family’s life. For families of children with developmental delay or disability, transition to school requires additional thought, time, planning and support to make the process as smooth and positive as possible.